Always and Forever
by Jiia-chan
Summary: Another coffee inspired oneshot. Reality bends and breaks, and the legendary world will never be the same again. Much Zeldabashing. And Yaoi. If you don't like it, then don't read it.


Always and Forever

A strange little one-shot that just sort of... Happened. You know how it is. Too much coffee and too little sleep and BAM, there ya go. Anyway, it takes place after the end of OOT. The part from Zelda's POV is different because I did it about two years after writing the rest of it, and I like writing Zelda's POV like a high school girl on MSN. Hence the exclimation marks. And as for all the sudden humor, I bash Zelda. A lot. And I find that funny. So I write stupid stuff for her. C&C is appreciated. I do not own Zelda. Or anything else. So please don't sue me. You won't get anything.

It was over.

Finally, after all these years that happened and yet didn't, it was over. The journey he had begun as a boy and ended as a man was finally over, and he didn't know what to do with himself. The others around him couldn't know what he was going through. How could they? All the screaming masses of happy hyrulian citizens knew was that they had been afraid, and now they weren't, thanks to him. Thanks to him.

Damn them and all their happy world. What right did they have to be happy when he was lying on the floor of the house the princess had given him, bitter tears streaming down his face and staining his pure white linen shirt, also a gift from the princess. She was trying to make up all she had put him through. She couldn't get it through her crown-circled head that showering him with gifts would never make it better. Nothing could make it better.

Suddenly there were strong, comforting arms around him, hugging him tightly against a warm, well-muscled chest. His cerulean eyes flashed wide in surprise, catching a glimpse of a deep navy blue uniform and the tattered edge of a familiar white mantle, silvery gold hair brushing softly against his cheek.

"S-Sheik?" His voice broke and he sobbed again, burying his face in the other's neck and letting his warmth encase him.

"Yes… Its all right, Link. Everything is all right. You don't have to be afraid any more. You don't have to be alone."

Link couldn't bring himself to answer. He simply sobbed, clutching the other boy to him as if he would never let him go. Sheik held him tightly, rocking him gently and making soothing shushing sounds until his tears stopped. Link pulled away and gazed at the slightly smaller boy with huge red-rimmed eyes.

"But… you're not… you're not… real…?" Sheik looked back, his ruby eyes smiling down upon him.

"What is? I'm real enough for now, little one." Sheik drew him closer and held him tightly, softly nuzzling his flaxen hair.

"I should be calling you that." Link murmured, even as he sank into the smaller boy's touch, letting his eyes drift closed.

"That's right, little one. Its time to sleep now. Don't be afraid. I'll be here, watching you." Sheik softly kissed his forehead, stroking his hair as Link drifted off into sleep.

"For always and forever, Shii..?" Sheik smiled at the nickname, and the simple childlike question and the sleepy way it was said.

"I'll be with you, little one. Always and forever."

For the first time since all this began, Link slept soundly, dreamless, dark and comforting.

When he woke up, the cold light of day shone in through the expensive glass windows, piercing his sleepy eyes with its brightness. He rolled over to escape the blinding light… And found himself alone on the cold, hard wood of his floor.

Sitting up at once, Link looked around desperately for a sign of the other boy. Finding none, he jumped up, all sleepiness forgotten, and ran outside, desperately calling his 'Shii'. Epona greeted him with a friendly neigh, but no other waited for him in the early morning sunlight.

"Shii…" The word was practically a moan as he dropped to his knees, letting crystalline tears stream down his face. "Shii… You promised me, Shii… You promised you would be here…."

He heard a voice whisper in his ear. "But I am here, Link. I'm right here beside you." Link sharply turned his head as he felt the petal-soft lips brush his ear. There was nothing there. Nothing but the rolling emptiness of Hyrule Field.

Suddenly, Link was smiling. He felt a smooth, yet calloused hand slip into his and he understood.

Sheik had never really been there in the first place.

He smiled and closed his eyes, gripping the non-existent hand tightly and fell backwards into the warm, endless abyss behind him. For a moment he caught sight of the blue sky above him. Then, the land closed up over top of him, sealing out the big, nasty world and sealing him in to this warm, dark wonderland where Sheik would always be there, holding his hand.

Zelda hummed a slightly melancholy tune, walking regally across the vast expanse of Hyrule Field, towards the house she had bestowed upon her lover to be. Link was being… well, difficult. She really didn't know what she was supposed to do with that boy. Nothing made him happy. She gave him everything he wanted, and offered more, but still, he spend his days cooped up in HER house pining for a man she had made up. I mean really, what kind of hero does something like that?

Zelda really didn't object to the fact that Link liked Sheik. After all, the boy was raised by fairies. He had to be a little warped. Besides, it created a nice picture in her mind. Still, there was a difference between loving a boy and loving someone who didn't even exist. That was going over the line. She was currently readying herself to go tell that –insert expletive a princess really shouldn't know, let alone say- ungrateful boy to snap out of it and marry her, for goddess' sake!

Zelda absently wondered why Link was lying on the grass in front of his- LINK WAS LYING IN THE GRASS IN FRONT OF HIS HOUSE! What the –Princess Pottymouth Strikes Again- was that fruit doing! Zelda began to regally run, then settled for a noble light jog as her skirt caught on her legs and made her stumble- very gracefully, of course. Her hero boy was lying spread eagle in front of his house, unconscious, and smiling. Like an idiot. On blue potion. He seemed to be breathing, but… Something just didn't feel right. She reached out and touched his hand. It was ice cold. His breathing was too regular, his pulse to steady… something was wrong.

"He's not here." Said Impa from behind her. Zelda didn't even jump. She as so used to Impa sneaking up behind her that it didn't even register.

"What do you mean he's not here? Of course he's here."

"His soul, Princess. His soul is gone."

Zelda looked up at him like she was insane. Which of course, she was.

"What do you mean, gone? How can his soul just be gone?"

Impa smiled and looked up into the azure Hylian sky.

"He never wanted this life, Zelda. Surely you must realize this. And now, he is with the one he loves, whom you killed."

Zelda stared at her in shock. How dare she be so patronizing?

"I have never killed any one!" She shouted, getting to her feet.

"You killed Sheik. You shattered the illusion, and now you've shattered him." Impa turned and stared into her eyes. For the first time, Zelda felt hate from those ruby depths… And fear in the center of her soul. "Link will never awake. Always and forever, he will sleep, until the end of time. For twenty years he has fought for you, Zelda. He deserves this rest. He deserves an eternity of peace."

Impa turned away. She turned her back on her princess, on her ward, and walked away. Some how, Zelda knew that she would never see her again.

Suddenly, the all mighty princess of Hyrule felt very small.


End file.
